How we got our first B2B customer without a product

I'm sure you have been here before or you're currently in it. You have an idea or vision that you really believe in but not sure how to get your first customer. If you're thinking of creating a b2b product but not sure how to get your first customer, this might help. If you rather not read about the journey, I listed the steps at the bottom!

First some background.
I've only worked at startups and large orgs as a CSM or an Account Manager in the b2b space and my co-founder was in the Govtech space doing sales. He brought to the table an idea that was surprisingly good but challenging for first-time founders: enhancing the mental well-being of those who protect us, and recognizing the alarming suicide rates within the police force.

Our initial concept?
All this started at the beginning of the pandemic. A sophisticated system tracking physical health data, vehicle speeds, and more—We would need lots of data from different systems and that just seemed so daunting to me. We agreed to create a mockup crafted in XD, a visual promise of what could be with minimal features. We called it Mindbase.

The Pitch and the Pivot
With mockup in hand, we set our sights on investors, naively optimistic about our prospects. The reality, however, was a series of lukewarm meetings and a consistent refrain: "You need more traction." This was so frustrating because that's why we wanted money, to get traction! Without a product, without funding, we felt adrift, our aspirations seemingly slipping away.

The Cold Call Crusade
So we tried something we were familiar with. Transforming our investor pitch into a sales narrative, we started on a cold-calling odyssey. We were well armed with a Google Sheet of a compiled list of sheriff departments crafted by someone on Fiverr and a list of our own, we faced rejection, disinterest, and the occasional hang-up. Yet, with each call, our resolve strengthened, and our pitch deck, call scripts and emails refined.

The breakthrough came unexpectedly. After countless calls and a series of rejections, a chief finally asked about the price. Caught off guard, my co-founder blurted out "$3,500," He has no idea why he said but he just plucked it out from thin air. To our astonishment, the chief agreed. Come to find out, our competitors would charge $20k🤦. Joy and excitement were swiftly followed by panic—we had just sold a product that existed only as a mockup. What we shipped to the customer is another story for another day.

The Roadmap to Success
This might look different for you but here are the steps it took for us.

• Craft a compelling mockup.
• Develop a versatile pitch deck for various audiences.
• Compile a targeted list of potential customers.
• Launch a strategic email campaign to see who we should call
• Embrace the grind of cold calling, and scheduling meetings to pitch our vision.
• Iterate relentlessly, refining our pitch and materials based on feedback.
• Willingness to adapt, to listen, and to persevere.

The Takeaway
Be flexible and iterate.

For those standing where we once did, teetering on the brink of entrepreneurship without a product in hand, remember this: change is your ally, persistence your weapon. Embrace feedback and adapt your approach. Your "how do I sign up?" moment is closer than you think.

Was getting your first B2B customer different?